Ornamental stitching attachment for sewing machines



April 27, 1954 I J. P. mos 2 676,558

ORNAMENTAL STITCHING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Dec. 22, 19503 Sheets-Sheet l April 27, 1954 J os 2,676,558

ORNAMENTAL STITCHING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Dec. 22, 19505 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 27, 1954 ORNAMENTAL STITCHING ATTACHMENTFOR SEWING MACHINES John P. Enos, Union, N. .lL, assignor to The SingerManufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of New JerseyApplication December 22, 1950, Serial No. 202,256

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to attachments for sewing machines and moreparticularly to attachments adapted to be applied to conventional familysewing machines to enable the machine to perform ornamental stitchingoperations.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved and simplifiedattachment of this nature which readily may be modified at will to causethe machine to produce any one of a considerable number of unlikeornamental seams.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ornamental stitchingattachment for sewing machines, including a plurality of interchangeablepattern cams, each designed for production of an individual form ofornamental seam, and to produce a simple and efficient constructionpermitting ready interchange of the cams and for removably securing theselected cam in the attachment in connecting it to suitable actuatingmeans.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in an attachment ofthis nature improved means whereby the work-shifting mechanism may haveits amplitude of vibration altered by a manual manipulation.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements ofparts hereinafter set forth and. illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which theseveral features of the invention and the advantages attained therebywill be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings Fig. 1 represents a left side elevation of an ornamentalstitching attachment embodying the present invention, showing itattached to the presser-bar of a sewing machine and actuated by thereciprocating needle-bar.

Fig. 2 represents a right side elevational view of the device disclosedin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a left end view of the device as disclosed in Fig. 2.

Fig. i represents a top plan view of the attachment and a portion of thesewing machine; the presser-bar and the casing member of the attachmentbeing shown in section.

Fig. 5 represents a bottom View of the attachment with the work-shiftingelement thereof shown in full lines in its intermediate position and, indotted lines in its two extreme lateral positions when the attachment isadjusted to produce the minimum lateral vibration of the work.

Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal vertical section taken substantiallyalong the line 5'6 of Fig. 4, with the casing member removed from theattachment.

Fig. 7 represents a top plan view of the attachment with thework-shifting element thereof shown in full lines in its intermediateposition and, in dotted lines in its two extreme lateral positions whenthe attachment is adjusted to produce the minimum lateral vibration ofthe work.

Fig. 8 represents a transverse vertical sectional view takensubstantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. 4;.

Fig. 9 represents a disassembled perspective view of the attachment.

Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 represent edge views of various forms ofpattern cams which may be used interchangeably in the presentattachment.

Figs. 10*, 11 12 13 14 and 15 represent plan views showing,respectively, the forms of ornamental seams which are produced by thesewing machine when the cams shown in Figs. 10 to 15 are embodied in theattachment.

Referring more specifically to the drawings;

the invention is shown as embodied in an attachment comprising a frame,including a base-plate ll, spaced upstanding side walls I8 and I9 and abracket 29 adapted to be secured to a sewing machine presser-bar 2! by athumb-screw 22. Referring particularly to Figs. 8 and 9, the side wallmember I9 is provided with a substantially horizontally disposed lipmember 23 which is provided with an aperture 2d for receiving a capscrew25 which functions pivotally to support the end wall i9 upon the framemember by reason of the fact that the cap-screw is threaded into anaperture 25 provided within the frame member proper. Thus the side wallmember I9 is pivotally secured to the frame member and about avertically disposed axis for a purpose which will be hereinafterdescribed.

As hereinafter will be described in further detail, the attachment isdesigned to be actuated by a reciprocatory needle-bar 21 of aconventional sewing machine, which needle-bar carries an eye-pointedneedle 28 held thereto by a needleclamp 29 having a laterally projectinglug 30 which receives the needle-clamp screw 3|. The attachment overliesthe horizontal work-supporting plate 32 which carries the usualslide-plate 33 and throat-plate 3 1 of the sewing machine proper. Afeed-dog 35, forming a part of a conventional four-motion work-feedingmechanism, operates through slots in the throat-plate and serves toadvance the work step-by-step through the machine from front to rearindependently of the sidewise movements given to the work by theornamental stitching attachment.

Pivoted to move back and forth horizontally relative to the frame andtransversely of the line of scam formation is a work-shifting membercomprising a horizontally disposed shank or plate 36 carrying at itsforward end a workshifting foot 31. This foot is serrated at its underside to provide work-engaging teeth 38 as shown most clearly in Fig. 3,which teeth are adapted to shift the work laterally in oppositedirections. The foot 37 is formed with a needle slot 39 which permitsthe foot to vibrate laterally without interference with the needle. Theshank 36 is formed at one side thereof with a longitudinal slot 46within which slides a shoulder screw threaded into an endwise adjustablevibration regulating member 42 having an upstanding lip or shoulder 43carrying a locking thumb-screw 44. The rear portion of the shank 35carries an upstanding cap-screw 45 which enters an arcuate slot 45formed in the rear portion of the base-plate ll. Thus, the shank slot itwith its cap-screw or pin 4!, and the slot 4% with its capscrew or pind5 constitute a pair of pin-and-slot connections which function as pivotmembers for the work-shifting element, as later will be described infurther detail. Referring particularly to Figs. 5 and '7, it is to beunderstood that the cap-screw ll is provided with a head t? whichoverlaps the shank 36 while the cap-screw 45 has a head 38 whichoverlaps the base-plate I! for the purpose of securing the shank member353 in sliding relation against the bottom portion of the base-plate orplatform member ll. Also cooperating with these two screw members inmaintaining the shank member 35 in intimate relation with the bottom ofthe platform H is an angle arm 49 which extends downwardly from theplatform member ll so as to be positioned about the bottom face of theshank 36.

An intermediate portion of the shank 36 of the work-shifting membercarries a stud 5!! which passes through an enlarged aperture 5! formedin the platform member H of the frame and carries a roller 52 whichtracks a cam groove formed in the periphery of any one of the patterncams which may be fitted into the attachment.

As above stated, the vibration regulating member i2 is adjustablelongitudinally of the attachment to move the pivot pin or screw illengthwise of the slot 40 in the shank 38 of the work-shifting member.Referring particularly to Fig. 7 it is to be understood that a similarlongitudinally disposed slot 53 is provided in the platform member I!for guiding the pin back and forth in a longitudinal direction at alltimes. In other words, the pin 4! tracks the groove 53 in its back andforth movement. Referring particularly to Figs. 7 and 9, the lockingscrew id of the adjusting member 42 passes through a slot 5% provided inan upturned ledge 56 of the shank member 36. Thus, the adjustment of themember 22 with its pin 4| is effected by manually pushing or pulling onthe locking screw 44 whenever the same is loosened, and the shank of thelocking screw will track the slot 54 thereby to cause the pin 4| to movelengthwise within its slot 53 so as to be positioned in various selectedpositions of adjustment relative to the slot W. The member 42 may beclamped in any of its adjusted positions by means of the screw 44 whichmay be tightened against the ledge 56 of the shank member 36.

Still referring to Fig. 7, it is to be noted that the slot 46 of theplatform member I? extends arcuately crosswise of the line of feed,while the slot 40 is formed at one side of the shank member 36 andextends parallell to the line of feed. The pin 45 which engages the slotL 6 is fixed in the shank 36, while the pin il which engages thelengthwise slot 40 in the shank 36 is adjustably disposed in a similarlylengthwise slot 53 in the platform member and is secured to the slide oradjustment member 52 which is disposed to overlie the platform memberproper. It will be thus appreciated from the foregoing that each of theslots 53 and 6% will confine the movements of their respective pins indifferent directions so that together these connections define a pivotalaxis for the shank member 36. It will be also apparent that thearrangement of the adjustable pin-and-slot connection ll, All and 53 toone side of the attachment frame will permit adjustment of the pin ll tobe made nearer to the presser-foot proper without conflicting with thepresser-bar 2| or the attachment presser-foot, thus providing a greatrange of vibratory motion of the work-shifting foot. By reason of theadjustments of the pin 41 lengthwise of the work-shifting member 36, thework-shifting foot 31 may be given lateral vibrations of varyingamplitudes from a given lateral movement of the stud 50 under theinfluence of the pattern cam. Figs. 5 and 7 each illustrate by dottedlines the minimum lateral vibrations given the foot 3'! from a unitlateral movement of the stud 50 due to the rotative movements of thepattern cam.

Important features of this invention, now to be described, are the meansfor selectively and removably supporting the work-shifting cams and themeans for giving to the selected cam step-by-step rotary movements fromthe reciprocating motions of the needle-bar. As shown most clearly inFig. 9, the upstanding side walls l8 and IQ of the frame are providedrespectively with apertures 51 and 58 into which are designed to bejournaled relatively large and small portions 59 and 59 of amulti-diameter drive shaft 80. This drive shaft 60 is, in effect, asingle piece, but for convenience of manufacture it is preferably formedof two pieces, the part 59 of larger diameter being secured upon thepart 59 by any suitable means such for example as by a set screw 6|shown in Fig. 6. One or more cam driving pins 62 are secured in theshaft portion 59 and project therefrom parallel to the axis of the shaftfor entering engagement with complemental sockets 63 provided in each ofthe interchangeable cams as hereinafter will be described.

The shaft 60 and its driving means are preferably made as a sub-assemblyof which the parts are permanently secured together to provide a unitwhich may be inserted into the frame and into driving relation with acam inserted between the side walls l8 and I9 or removed therefromwithout danger of the parts becoming disassembled. This unitarysub-assembly is designated by the numeral 64 in Fig. 9. An operatinglever 65, designed to give to the shaft 60 stepby-step rotary motionfrom the reciprocatory movements of the needle-bar, has its rearward orhub end 66 journaled for oscillation on a portion 6'! of the shaft 60.Permanently and affixedly secured to one end portion of the shaft 60 isa ratchet wheel 68 which is engaged and actuated by a pawl 69 pivoted at10 to the operating lever 65. The forward end of the lever 65 isbifurcated as at H and straddles the lug 38 carried by the needle-clamp29. A spring it carried by the lever 55 bears upon the pawl 59 andnormally maintains the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel 68,whereupon oscillations of the lever 65, by the needle-bar, effectstep-by-step rotations of the cam-driving shaft 60 and the cam securedthereto. Pivotally mounted upon the lever E55 by means of a screw M isan arm "25 having its one end portion ls disposed adjacent anintermediate portion of the pawl 69. The other end portion of the member15 extends upwardly and is provided with a laterally extending fingerpiece ll and a lip 18 the form of which elements provides a meanswhereby the member 75 may be manually shifted in a counterclockwisedirection, as viewed in Fig. 2, for the purpose of lifting the pawl 58from its operative engagement with the ratchet (-38. This action willdiscontinue the lateral work-shifting movements effected by theattachment, whereupon straightstitching may be performed withoutremoving the attachment from the machine. When the pawl is so shiftedout of its operative position, the lever 55 will maintain it in thisinoperative position due to the friction set up by its pivot screw M.The lip 78 provided on the member l5 limits the extent of downwardmovement of the lever so that the spring 13 will not be urged beyond apredetermined position by the pawl 69.

Figs. to 15, inclusive, show various forms of pattern cams numbered 79to St, inclusive, which cam may be used interchangeably in the presentattachment to produce various forms of orna mental stitching as shown inFigs. 10 to respectively. Each of these cams comprises a cylindricalbody portion 85 having a circumferentially peripheral cam groove 8tadapted to receive the roller stud 52 carried by the shank 353 or" thework-shifting member. Each cam groove affords active cam surfaces 8'!which serve to shift the roller stud 52 and the work-shifting memberlaterally, and inactive straight portions 33 which produce a dwell andhold the parts against movement while the needle is in the work. Theextent and relative arrangement of the cam surfaces Bl and the straightportions 88 of the cam groove 86 determine the pattern of the ornamentalseam to be produced.

The cams are of such width that they snugly lit between the upstandingwalls l8 and E9 of the frame. Each cam is formed with a relatively smallaxial bore 39 adapted to fit upon an intermediate portion lZ of thedrive shaft fill, and a larger aligned counter-bore 83 designed to fitupon the relatively large portion 59 of the shaft The radial wallconnecting the bore 89 and the ccunterbore 9B is formed with a pluralityof sockets 63, hereinbefore mentioned, to receive one or morecam-driving pins 52 carried by the shaft t8. This pin and socketarrangement affords one form of readily separable interengaging meansfor locking the cam and the shaft together against relative rotation,thereby permitting the interchange of cams without the use of tools ofany kind. The sockets 53 are so arranged relaive to the cam groove 8tthat when the cam and the drive-shaft are assembled the active camsurfaces 8'2 of the cam-groove may move the work-shifting foot 3ilaterally only when the needle is out of the work, thereby protectingboth the work and the needle against damage.

To prevent retrograde movement of the pattern :cam during the downstrokeof the needle and when the pawl .69 is being retracted to engage thenext tooth of the ratchet wheel 68, a leaf spring 9| is secured to theinner face of the pivoted wall I9 by means of a rivet 92, and from Figs.1, 8 and 9 it will be observed that the upper end portion of this leafspring is adapted to be bear against a slightly recessed portion 93 ofthe cam 19.

To place any one of the pattern cams into the attachment, the upstandingwall It is swung about its vertical pivot 25 from its normal positionillustrated in Fig. '7 by solid lines, to a secondary position,illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 7, and a selected cam is placededgewise above the attachment as shown in Fig. 9 and is lowered untilthe counterbore S0 is aligned with the bearing aperture 57 in thestationary side wall l8. The sub-assembly 64 is then moved axially intoposition relative to the frame and to the cam and the shaft Ell isinserted through the pattern cam to place the portion 59 into thebearing aperture El of the attachment frame. During the insertion of theshaft it may have to be turned one way or the other slightly to alignone or more of the pins 62 with one or more of the apertures 63. in thecam. Thereafter, the movable end wall It) may be swung in a clockwisedirection from its dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 7 until itreaches the position illustrated by the solid lines in Fig. 7, at whichtime the spring 8! will engage the face of the cam and the aperture 58of the plate It will receive the distal end portion 59 of thesub-assembly shaft Ell thereby to support the remote end of saidsub-assembly. Next a casing member or cover 9d of substantially invertedU-shape in vertical section and having the pending side walls 95 and 95is moved downwardly over the pattern cam and the upstanding side wallsl8 and H as well as the ratchet 68 until the forward portion 9'! of thecasing rests upon the upper surface 98 of the bracket 2!] constituting apart of the frame. In order to lock both the subassembly :34 and thecover 94 in place, the remote end portion 59 of the shaft 50 is providedwith a threaded aperture 99 which is adapted to receive the threadedshank of a thumb screw ltd. As may be best observed from Fig. 8 thecover plate is provided in its side wall 95 with an aperture Elli whichis aligned with the threaded shaft aperture 99 whenever the casing is inits operative position. Thus, whenever the screw tilt? is threaded intothe shaft bore, the head portion of the screw will abut against the wall95 of the casing thereby to lock both the cover and the subassembly inposition. With the parts in this position, the pattern cam is locked tothe shaft iii] and the shaft is held against removal from the frame bymeans of the cover.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that this invention provides asimple ornamental stitching attachment capable of producing a greatnumber of ornamental seams, the number of variety of cams, and therebythe seams, being almost without limit. Also it will be apparent that thereplacement of the cams may be readily effected and without the use oftools.

It will further be apparent that the two slot and pin connectionsprovided in the present attachment permit a wide range range of adjustments to be made in the amplitude of movement of the work-shifting foot3? and shank 35.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis:

1. An attachment for a sewing machine having a presser-bar and areciprocating needle-bar, comprising a frame designed to be connected toand supported by the presser-bar; a horizontally disposed shaftjournaled in bearings in said frame; means actuated by the needle-barfor giving to said shaft step-by-step rotary motions; a pattern camsecured to said shaft to be rotated thereby; a horizontally movablework-shifting member; means in the form of a pair of horizontally spacedslot-and-pin connections provided between said frame and saidwork-shifting member; means carried by said work-shifting member andhorizontally spaced from said slot-and-pin connections for engagementwith said cam so that said cam will oscillate said work-shifting memberabout said slot-and-pin connections and relative to said frame; and amanually operable means for shifting one of the pins of said slot andpin connections relative to said last mentioned means thereby to varythe amplitude of oscillation of said work-shifting member.

2. An attachment for a sewing machine having a presser-bar and areciprocating needle-bar, comprising a frame designed to be connected toand supported by the presser-bar; said frame being provided with a pairof horizontally elongated slots disposed with their major axessubstantially at right angles to each other; a horizontally disposedshaft journaled in bearings in said frame; means actuated by theneedle-bar for giving to said shaft step-by-step rotary motions; apattern cam secured to said shaft to be rotated thereby; a horizontallymovable work-shifting member; a pair of horizontally spaced pins carriedby said work-shifting member with each of said pins being receivedwithin a respective one of said slots; means carried by saidwork-shifting member and horizontally spaced from said pins forengagement with said cam so that said cam will oscillate saidwork-shifting member relative to said frame, and means carried by saidwork-shifting member for shifting one of said pins relative to said lastmentioned means thereby to vary the amplitude of oscillation of saidwork-shifting member.

3. An attachment for a sewing machine having a presser-bar and areciprocating needle-bar, comprising a frame designed to be connected toand supported by the presser-bar, said frame including a verticallydisposed wall member having a bearing aperture therein; a horizontallymovable work-shifting member pivota-lly secured to said frame; ahorizontally disposed shaft having one end thereof journaled in saidbearing aperture and removable therefrom; means actuated by saidneedle-bar for engaging the said one end of said shaft and impartingthereto step-by-step rotary motions; a pattern cam removably secured toan intermediate portion of said shaft to be rotated thereby; meanscarried by said workshifting member and actuated by said cam to shiftthe member horizontally; a second vertically disposed wall member havinga bearing aperture therein, said second wall member being pivotallymounted upon said frame so as to be disposed with its apertured portionin removable engagement with the other end portion of said shaft; andmeans for removably locking said second wall member in engagement withsaid shaft,

4. An attachment for a sewing machine having a pressure-bar and areciprocating needle-bar, comprising a frame designed to be connected toand supported by the presser-bar, said frame including a verticallydisposed wall member having a bearing aperture therein; a horizontallymovable work-shifting member pivotally secured to said frame; ahorizontally disposed shaft having one end thereof journaled in saidbearing aperture and removable therefrom; means actuated by saidneedle-bar for engaging the said one end of said shaft and impartingthereto step-bystep rotary motions; a pattern cam removably secured toan intermediate portion of said shaft to be rotated thereby; meanscarried by said work-shifting member and actuated by said cam to shiftthe member horizontally; a second vertically disposed wall member havinga bearing aperture therein, said second wall member being pivotallymounted upon said frame so as to be disposed with its aperture portionin removable engagement with the other end portion of said shaft;resilient means carried by one face of said second wall member forengagement with said cam whenever said second wall member is disposed inengagement with said shaft thereby to prevent retrograde movement ofsaid cam; and means for removably locking said second wall member inengagement with said shaft.

5. An attachment for a sewing machine having a presser-bar and areciprocating needle-bar, comprising a frame designed to be connected toand supported by the presser-bar, said frame including a verticallydisposed wall member having a bearing aperture therein; a horizontallymovable worlnshifting member pivotally secured to said frame; ahorizontally disposed shaft having one end portion thereof removablyjournaled in said bearing aperture; means actuated by said needle-barfor engaging the said one end of said shaft and imparting theretostep-by-step rotary motions; a pattern cam adapted to be removablyreceived over the other end of said shaft for seating upon anintermediate portion of said shaft; means for separably securing saidcam positively upon said shaft; means carried by said work shiftingmember for actuation by said cam thereby to shift the memberhorizontally; a second vertically disposed wall member having a bearingaperture therein, said second wall member being pivotally mounted uponsaid frame so as to be disposed with its apertured portion in removableengagement with the other end portion of said shaft; and a casing memberremovably positioned over said two wall members and said cam thereby tolock said second wall member in engagement with said shaft.

6. An attachment for a sewing machine having a presser-bar and areciprocating needle-bar, comprising a frame designed to be connected toand supported by the presser-bar, said frame ineluding a verticallydisposed wall member having a bearing aperture therein, a horizontallymovable work-shifting member pivotally secured to said frame; ahorizontally disposed shaft having one end portion thereof removablyjournaled in said bearing aperture; an actuating lever having one endjournaled on one end portion of said shaft and its other end designed toengage the needle-bar for oscillation thereby; a ratchet and pawlmechanism carried by said shaft for intermittently transferring motionsfrom said lever to said shaft; an apertured pattern cam adapted to beremovably received over the other end of said shaft for seating upon anintermediate portion of said shaft; means for separably securing saidcam positively upon said shaft; means carried by said work-shiftingmember for actuation by said cam thereby to shift the memberhorizontally; a second vertically disposed wall member having a bearingaperture therein, said second Wall member being pivotally mounted uponsaid frame and about a vertically disposed axis so as to be disposedwith its apertured portion in removable engagement with the other endportion of said shaft; and a casing member removably positioned oversaid two wall members and said cam thereby to lock said second wallmember in engagement with said shaft.

7. An attachment for a sewing machine having a presser-bar and areciprocating needle-bar, comprising a frame designed to be connected toand supported by the presser-bar; a horizontally movable work-shiftingmember pivotally secured to said frame; a horizontally disposed shaftjournaled in bearings in said frame and removable therefrom; meansincluding a ratchet-wheel actuated by said needle-bar and secured uponone end of said shaft outside the confines of said frame for impartingto said shaft step-by-step rotary motions; a pattern cam secured to anintermediate portion of said shaft to be rotated thereby; means carriedby said work-shifting member and actuated by said cam to shift themember horizontally; a substantially U-shaped casing member fitted oversaid frame, shaft and ratchet-wheel; and means carried by said casingand removably engaging the other end of said shaft to prevent theremoval of said shaft from said frame While said casing member is in itsnormal frame-covering position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,374,721 Bacon et a1 May 1, 1945 2,482,607 Almquist Sept. 20,1949 2,592,653 Burgess et a1 Apr. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 277,434 Italy Sept. 9, 1930

